Anybody fish Reelfoot or Tunica cuttoff??

[tcounty]

Was thinking about doing some bream fishing this year after crappie spawn. I've heard there alot of bream in Reelfoot, but are they anysize? I know Tunica has huge bream, but I've never done anygood there.

[caseydrew]

I've fished there a few times in early May around the full moon and killed the big gills ever time I've been and don't know the lake at all. Reelfoot has the best bluegill fishing I've ever seen for numbers of big gills. I've had good success w/ grizzly jigs tipped w/ wax worms, but did better on a "brim reaper." See my below post titled "Some succesful pics" for the link to this jig if interested. Reelfoot is worth the trip and I've had my best success near the airport inn.

[itallushrt]

I can't say that I agree with caseydrew. Been going the last several years and targeting the gill spawn and full moon, but just never seem to do that well. Probably just my luck, but we usually have a large crew and the last years no one has done that great on the BIG dinnerplate Reelfoot bluegill. Caught a ton of throw backs and seen a lot of guys cleaning babies. :rolleyes:

None-the-less .. I'll be there this May! :p

[caseydrew]

Been a few years since I was there...guess things could have changed??? It sure was great the times I went though.

[Illinoisgiller]

I don't think that Reelfoot is worth the drive from west central IL. Just look at the number of resorts on that lake. Then figure that from the time the gills start to hit at all till the time they quit in the winter, that lake is hit and hit HARD. The relentless onslaught of tourist along with the real fact that Reelfoot is dissapearing fast has decimated the gill population. Lake Reelfoot is probably the most advertised bluegill lake in the U.S.A.
There are gills there, but as for the numbers or good size you can pretty much forget it.
The same is true to some extent for the general Crappie population. Overall size is down a lot on them also. Watch the cleaning stations and you will get the real picture. If one could fish without wind on a steady basis there would be even less. Talk with people that go for a week there and find out how many days they were blown off the lake. As it gets shallower, it will only get worse. So sad to lose a once great fishery.
Bass and eater cats are still prolific there though.:D :D

[Bails]

I think I'll still make my 16th year in a row....now sure where you fished or what you fished with...but, you must not be talking about the same lake I fish

[LOZcrappie]

I was down there last year the same time as Bails. We weren't part of his group, but our group goes down there every year the week before Mother's Day.

Last year was our best year ever -- 1,600 or 1,700 gills for the week with good size. Bails' group absolutely killed 'em, too (we were staying at the same resort). That being said, there have been some years where we've stunk it up. It does vary from year to year.

I know that I'll always take advantage of an opportunity to fish Reelfoot. It's a one-of-a-kind place as far as I'm concerned.

Good luck...

[Tunica]

Tcounty boy you aint just holding them lips right....We will hook up this year and I promise you I'll put ya on more bream than you'll want to catch. Of course now that I said that the wier will burst and the lake will drain. I've always been a bream fisherman that will allow a papermouth or 100 to grace My live well.

[Illinoisgiller]

I'm sure happy to hear that there are some still "getting on them" at Reelfoot.
I'd visit this beautifull lake just for the scenery, fish or not.
I first visited Reelfoot in the mid 70s. I and the family putted around the lake in one of the Stumpjumper Lake Boats that were replaced when slip clutches got popular on the outboards .
I never would have imagined that many of the large areas that we fished are now bone dry ground.
I didn't know there were boom and bust years there, but still would not take the chance for gills alone.
I didn't know about that Tunica! That sounds like a neat place to visit w/ gransdsons. Is it full of Cypress also? Mike

[Tunica]

aint a Cypress tree one on the cutoff. If you bring little ones be very very careful of those cotton Rattlers. There very aggresive on the cutoff.